Monday, October 29, 2018

How The Media Sustains Political Warfare


Kyle Jensen and Jack Selzer, The Conversation: How the media encourages – and sustains – political warfare

Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has been waging war against the American press by dismissing unfavorable reports as “fake news” and calling the media “the enemy of the American people.”

As a countermeasure, The Washington Post has publicly fact-checked every claim that Trump has labeled as fake. In August, The Boston Globe coordinated editorials from newspapers across the nation to push back against Trump’s attacks on the press. The Associated Press characterized this effort as the declaration of a “war of words” against Trump.

News organizations might frame themselves as the besieged party in this “war.” But what if they’re as much to blame as the president in this back-and-forth? And what if readers are to blame as well?

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Regular readers of this blog know that I have been a critic of the media since the beginning .... on how they covered President Bush and President Obama when they were in the White House, to how they cover President Trump. The difference today is that there is a now President who fights back via through Twitter and other media forums on how the media covers news stories, and more importantly, educates the public on how they do it. To say that the blow-back from the media has been overwhelmingly negative and in many cases hateful is an understatement Fortunately .... IMHO .... some people are noticing it .... If You Ignore the News, America Actually Seems Pretty Nice (Justin Fox, Bloomberg)

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alas, the political bias against the press is as blatant at this site as the charge that the press is biased against the president

Anonymous said...

Above anon, not sure if you are serious or joking... ? If you truly believe the current media landscape, and what is called "journalism" these days is honest and accurate, you must be high :) I am not a US citizen (EU!), so take it for what you will, but I have never seen a presidency that much under attack. Incredible distortions of facts - much by leaving out info, or portraying only one side of facts - and constant negative rhetoric about this guy is incredible. I have to say, I think that he can be a bit divisive himself, but boy is the media out to get him 24/7. Sure, he himself distorts facts (=lies), e.g. about the crowd size during his inauguration (it was smaller than Obama's for sure), BUT what the media does is despicable. They are absolutely in bed with Democrats and ignore all the wrong doings on that side. It's revolting to watch, hence - from a distance - I am rooting for DJT.. the things he has accomplished, and the things he is for (strong border/proper immigration process) resonates with me, because, as you might know, Europe has had much of the same issues, which is why today Merkel is giving up. The people just cannot have that many refugees coming in.. for financial reasons, but also for cultural shift reasons.. it's just unsustainable. Call it heartless, but it's like a sinking ship.. if all people are going to the same life boat, that life boat too will sink. Perhaps not the best analogy, I know.. in essence, other countries must change their own economics, and policies, and become more thrieving organisations - there's about 3-4bn poor people in the world.. if they all get to move around freely, we all will live in chaos and that will not help anyone. OK, that much on this subject. But more importantly, I like DJT because he calls out the media in the US which is the most dishonest bunch (with some exceptions) I have ever witnessed. And what goes on on MSNBC/CNN - constantly calling people racists and getting away with it is unbelievable. If someone would call me a racist, I'd fuck**g smack him. It's unbelievable. Yet, people nod along and pretend it's ok. It is not ok. And when Hillary Clinton just recently called for an end to civil discourse until they are back in power - as was pointed out many times here before - it's again, unbelievable. I just lack words and I hope we won't see such dishonesty in my country.

Anonymous said...

a quick note to point out that Treacher, cited at the head of this post, works for the Moonie-owned (Rev Moon, convicted felon) Washington Times, a right-wing paper, and PJ Media, is home to the Instapundit (among others)...a nice right-wing law prof...so they are guardians of the press? Try this: when you badmouth MSM, list the names of those papers and tv shows and magazines. Why: One of the key conservative magazines continues to support Trump and the GOP; the other, equally respected, remains conservative but detests what Trump has done to the mainstream conservative movement

Anonymous said...

If you ignored the news in 1935, Germany seems pretty nice

Roger Smith said...


"if you ignored the news...." You bet, anon. Good one.

Anonymous said...

@other Anon (Fred) who is the last guy here to defend MSM, you will have to wake up soon, buddy. The blue wave is not coming. It will be a red wave. Why? Because people aren't that dumb. I do not understand why you keep on listening to liars and dividers, which is clearly CNN and Democrats. Look at what Trump offers: a booming economy, unity (have you watched any of his speeches lately? Be honest about it,man), record unemployment for all races and genders, a stronger NATO (actually spending more now), a checked North Korea (agreed, more progress needed - but much more accomplished than Obama), .. the list is freaking long.. and he did this despite (or because of, one might argue) the continuing lies on the left. Your life would be better if you switch channels from time to time, Fred. I mean it. Do you want to keep watching the hatred and division and lies (mobs not mobs, spying not spying, caravan not caravan, and civility only restored when "we are back in power" Hillary Clinton/Maxine Waters). Dear little parrot, just wake up, bro :)

fred said...

I do not like ALL of MSM...I pick and choose. To call all the enemy of the people is fascist tack. Fact: everyone here despising MSM get news from some MSM...ask yourself: why are there countless links at this site to MSM? Fox is MSM, so too Wall St Journal, Washington Times etc etc
thus to dismiss MSM is a fool's errand. test: spend a week NOT turning to any and all MSM and then tell us what has taken place during that week.

Philoctes said...

But of course there is some evidence that one Main Stream source does lie a lot

Anonymous said...

Which all goes to show that "fake news" is indeed apt.